Improvement in the construction of privies



UNITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

ELIZUR E. CLARKE, .OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO FRANKN. N.CLARKE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,654, dated October24, 1865; antedated October 13, 1865.

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIZUR E. CLARKE, ot the city and county of NewHaven, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovementin the Construction and Arrangement of Outhouses or Privies;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction, character, and operation of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make part ofthis specilication, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of thestructure, taken from the left-hand rear corner, showing the places forremoving the night-soil or contents ot' the vault, the aperture forreceiving the dry muck, 86o., into the rear chamber or reservoir, andtheadmitting and pulverizing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe same, taken from the right-hand front cor- `ner, showing theentrance, seat, &c. Fig. 3 is a section ot' the same, cut from front torear, showing the relative positions of the several parts. Fig. 4 is aperspective view ot the cap or cover for the aperture in the root'. Fig.5 is a perspective view of 011e of the covers of the apertures forremoving the night-soil, Svc.

My improvement consists in so constructing and arranging the severalparts ofthe ordinary out-house or privy that, by the introduction of drymuck or any other suitable absorbent and disinfectant, the night-soilwill be readily and continually deodorized and rendered pulvern.- lentand tit to be removed at any and all times Without any inconvenience ordisagreeable odor, and be suitable to be applied as a fertilizer,wherever desired; and in providing a method of pulverizing the muck,Sac., on its downward passage, and of allowin g at all times the desiredquantity to fall into the vault to absorb the moisture and deodorize thenightsoil, Sac.; and in construct-ing the house with a back chamber orreservoir suited to receive andstore or preserve in a dry condition themuck, Snc., and connected at the bottom through a suitable space, ashereinafter described, with the vault below; and in constructing it witha water-tight vault, so that none of the moisture which falls or isdeposited therein can escape to corrupt or otherwise affeet the water otthe neighboring wells, Src., but all will be absorbed by the muck, Smc.,to increase its value as a fertilizer.

I build the house or privy A A ot' wood or any other suitable material,with the seat D, tc., all in the usual way, as represented in Figs. 1and 2, and throughout the whole (or any desired portion) ot' the length,back ot' and parallel to the seat, I construct a chamber or reservoir,as shown in cross-section a C, Fig. 3. Into this chamber or reservoir C,I throw dry muck or any other suitably absorbing and disinfecting,substance through the aperture shown at E, Fig. l, and indicated at E,Figs. 2 and 3, (or otherwise,) where it may be stored and preserved in adry state until wanted for use. Near the bottom of this chamber O,throughout its whole length horizontally, or parallel with the scat, Ifit two bars or boards, with suitably inclined surfaces, one a littleabove the other, as shown at a, and b, Figs. l and 3, (wherea piece isremoved,) and directly lunder the space or opening between the two barsor boards a and b, I place a revoluble shaft, with spurs or points inits periphery or convex surface, all as shown at c, Figs. l and 3; and,when necessary, this shaft c may be revolved by a crank, as d, orotherwise, to pulverize the muck, &c. These two bars b and a and theshaft c form substantially a bottom to support the superincumbent Weightot` the muck, &c., as but little ot'it will fall through, except whilethe shaft c is being revolved.

l construct the vault or substructure F F of stone orany other suitablematerial, with waterproof cement, in such a manner as to render itperfectly water-tight, and some two or three feet deep.

On the back or outer portion of the vault I erect or construct. one ormore vsuitable openings, as shown at G', Fig. 1, where the cap or coveris removed, as indicated at G, Figs. 1,2, and 3, and I make the backside slanting or inclined, as shown in section at g, Fig. 3, and

I make these openings into the vault through projections of the wall,formed outward, so as to form these openings inclined or beveled on thesides inward, as well as the back downward, to the bottom of the vault;and I also extend these openings upward into the superstructure, asshown at G', to render the removal of the night-soil, 8m., the mostconvenient at all times, and I cover or secure these openings withWater-tight covers or shutters, as shown at G,Figs. l and 2, and one ofthese covers is shown detached in Fig. 5. I render the tting ot' thesecovers Water-tight and secure them in their proper positions by beveledcleats, as shown at 7L, Fig. 3, and indicated at h and h', Figs. l and2, Where h shows the movable or swinging cleat, which may be secured bya screw, 7c, or otherwise.

Having constructed the vault and house, with their appendages, as beforedescribed, and placed the house over the vault, as shown in Figs. l and2, and in section in Fig. 3, I shovel the muck or other disinfectantinto the aperture at E, Fig. 1, so as to fill the chamber or reservoir Cto any convenient or desired extent, and put on the cover or shutter,Fig. 4, when it will appear as represented at E,Fig. 2, and Will be shutwater-tight, as indicated in section at E, Fig. 3, so that the muck,&c.,will be preserved perfectly dry. I then turn the crank d in thedirection indicated by the dart, and cause a suitable quantity ot' themuck, in a pulverized state, to fall to the bottom of the vault, whenthe privy will be ready for use, and afterward, as often as is deemednecessary, I (by the same means) let down more ofthe pulverized muck,85e., so as to keep the night-soil, 85e., from exhaling any unpleasantodor, as the muck, &c., will absorb all of the moisture and completelydeodorize the whole mass.

When I desire to remove the night-soil, Ste., from the vault I openoneor more ofthe apertures by removing the cover at G, Fig. 5, as shown atG', Fig. l, when, from the haring, inclined, or beveled sides ot' theaperture, the contents may be easily and readily scraped out and removedfor use as a fertilizer. Ihis rear chamber or reservoir,V O, with itsappendages, may be readily attached to a privy already constructed, orit may be constructed separately and be connected with the vault Wth outdepending on the superstructure of the privy for its support, it' itonly serves as a reservoir for the muck, 85e., and as the means offurnishing the muck to the vault in a pulverized state when needed; andany Water-tight vault may be altered by the addition of the projectingparts, with their apertures and covers, when made and tted substantiallyas hereinbefore described.

rPhe advantages ot' my improvement consist in that the privy may thus bekept free from the exhalation of any offensive eftluvia for any lengthot' time, and in that the contents of the vault may be removed at anyseason of the year or any hour of the day Without being offensive orunpleasant to any one, and in that the contents ot the vault may be usedas a fertilizer in any place Where desired Without offense.

Vvhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination of the chamber or reservoir G, whether attached tothe superstructure of' the privy or not, with the vault F, when they areso constructed and combined as to produce by the use of muck thedeodorization ot' the night-soil, &c., substantially as herein ldescribed.

2. The combination of the two bars or boards a and b with the toothed orspurred shaft c, when they are so constructed and arranged as tosupport, pulverize, and deposit the muck, 85e., substantially as hereindescribed.

3. 'Ihecombinationot` thetoothed or spurred shalt c with the chamber Cand vault F, when constructed, arranged, and fitted for usesubstantially as herein described and set forth.

ELIZUR E. CLARKE.'

Witnesses: l

FREDK. W. J. SIZER, R. FITZGERALD.

